Treat Your Hearing Loss to Save Your Brain

Recently Doctors have been studying the link between cognitive function and hearing loss and their effects on one another. A study at Columbia University Medical Center found that older adults with hearing aids performed better on cognitive tests than those with hearing loss that did not wear a hearing aid. Proving that cognitive function is directly related to your ability to hear.

The study, published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry looked at 100 adults age 80 to 99 first tested participants hearing. Then they tested cognitive abilities using the Mini-Mental State Examination. The results found that those with hearing loss that used hearing aids scored significantly better on the Mini-Mental State Exam, which is commonly used in medical settings to assess dementia. Additionally, the results showed that for participants who did not wear a hearing aid, an increased level of hearing loss was associated with a worse Mini-Mental State Exam score.

Hearing Aids Help

“Our study suggests that using a hearing aid may offer a simple, yet important, way to prevent or slow the development of dementia by keeping adults with hearing loss engaged in conversation and communication,” said study contributor Dr. Anil Lalwani.

This isn’t the first study to investigate hearing loss’s affects on a number of aliments usually associated with aging. Previous studies have found that hearing aids have a positive impact on the social, functional and emotional issues that are common with hearing loss. That includes, depression, social isolation, balance issues, accelerated brain tissue loss and now cognitive function, which all appear to improve simply by wearing a hearing aid. Hearing loss is no longer a problem that can just be ignored. Call Hearing Lab today to schedule your free hearing test and see if hearing aids are an option for you.